How to make Old-Fashioned Barrel Pickles, naturally - made easy, using natural ingredients, and illustrated!

Using the "Old-Fashioned Barrel Pickle" method!

Making and canning your own dill pickles the old-fashioned way, with all
natural ingredients has never been easier!! Here's how to do it, in easy
steps and completely illustrated. But this is NOT a recipe for a
beginners. Scrupulopus attention to cleanliness and diligence in each step is
required.

Background: Types of Pickles

Fermented pickles (the recipe on this page) are vegetables soaked
in a brine solution for 4 to 6 weeks. Old-fashioned barrel pickles were
cured using the fermentation method. Basically, yeast produces acid to
preserve the cucumbers, along with a lot of added salt (brine).
During this time, lactic acid bacteria, naturally present on the surface of
vegetables, grows. Other microbes are inhibited by salt. The color of the
vegetables changes from bright green to olive/yellow-green, and the white
interior becomes translucent. Examples include dill pickles and sauerkraut.

Other types are:

Fresh-pack (or quick process) pickles
are cured for several hours in a vinegar solution or are immediately
combined with hot vinegar, spices, and seasonings. Examples include dills,
bread-and-butter pickles and pickled beets. these are substantially easier
to make than fermented pickles.
See this page, if you'd rather make Quick Process pickles..

Equipment

Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water
where you sanitize them. ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often
grocery stores; and available online - see this page)

Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery
stores; and available online - see this page)

1 large pots; teflon lined, glass or ceramic.

Large spoons and ladles

1 Water Bath Canner (a huge pot to sanitize the jars after filling
(about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at big box stores
and grocery stores.). Note: we sell many sizes and types of canners for
all types of stoves and needs - see
canning supplies

Pint canning jars (Ball or Kerr jars can be found at grocery stores,
like Safeway, Publix, Kroger, grocery stores, even online - about $9 per dozen jars including the lids and rings). Be sure to get wide mouth
jars to fit the pickles in! Pint size works best!

Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals
them against the top of the jar. They may only be used once.

Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be
reused many times.

Pickling Equipment Notes:

The basic equipment used for pickling is similar to other types of canning.
However, there are some differences:

Utensils made of zinc, iron, brass, copper, or galvanized metal should
not be used. The metal may react with acids or salts and cause undesirable
color and taste changes in the pickles or make pickles unfit to eat.
Likewise, enamelware with cracks or chips should not be used.

For fermenting and brining, a crock or stone jar, an unchipped
enamel-lined pan, a glass jar, a bowl, or a casserole can be used for small
quantities. Kegs and barrels (made of hardwood and either enamel, glass, or
paraffin lined) can be used for larger quantities. The container used must
be fitted with a flat dish to fit inside and cover the food in the brine. A
weight is necessary to hold the dish down and to keep the foods below the
surface of the brine. A glass jar filled with water and closed with a cap
makes a good weight.

Directions - How to Make Natural Fermented Old Fashioned Dill
Pickles

Step 1 - Selecting the cucumbers

It's
fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality
cucumbers!

At right is a of picture cucumbers from my garden - they
are SO easy to grow. But be sure to grow the varieties that are labeled
"pickling cucumbers" - they will be much more crisp!

The
picture at right shows a good cucumber for pickling (bottom) and a bad one
(top). The good one is dark green, firm, and not bloated. It has
lots of warts!

The bad one is overripe, it has yellow or white areas in
the skin, and the warts are almost all gone. If you cut it open, you
will see developed seeds. You don't want seeds!

Overripe cucumbers make mushy pickles.

Step 2 - How many cucumbers?

It takes about 3 or 4 cucumbers to fill a pint jar. Each cucumber
is about 4 - 5 inches long and you will cut off the ends so they will fit
with 1/4-inch to spare..

Step 3 -Wash and cut the cucumbers!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in plain cold water.

You will need to cut a 1/16-inch slice off the blossom end and discard,
but you must leave the stem end and 1/4-inch of the stem attached.

You may
then pickle the cucumber whole; or you may choose to slice it in half
lengthwise to make halves; and if you want, again to make spears
(quarters).

Set them aside for use in step 6.

Step 4 - Fill the crock

Place half of dill and spices on bottom of a clean, suitable container.
For more information on containers see "Suitable Containers, Covers, and
Weights for Fermenting Food," below

Add cucumbers, remaining dill, and spices.

Step 5 - Add the vinegar and salt

Dissolve salt in vinegar and water and pour over cucumbers. Add suitable
cover and weight.

Step 6 - Store / ferment

Store where temperature is between 70ºF and 75ºF for about 3 to 4 weeks while
fermenting. Temperatures of 55º to 65ºF are acceptable, but the fermentation
will take 5 to 6 weeks. Avoid temperatures above 80ºF, or pickles will become
too soft during fermentation. Fermenting pickles cure slowly. Check the
container several times a week and promptly remove surface scum or mold.
Caution: If the pickles become soft, slimy, or develop a disagreeable odor,
discard them.

Step 7 - Long term storage

Whether you store them in the fridge or can them, you need to do the
following 4 steps first:

Option 1

Canning fully fermented pickles is simple, safe way to store them.

Get the jars and lids sanitizing

The
dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle.
I get that going while I'm preparing everything else, so it's done by the
time I'm ready to fill the jars. If you don't have a dishwasher,
submerge the jars in a large pot (the canner itself) of water and bring it
to a boil.

Be sure to let it go through the rinse cycle to get rid of any soap!

Get the canner heating up

Fill the canner about 1/2 full of water and start it heating (with the lid
on).

Start the water for the lids

Put
the lids into the small pot of boiling water for at least several minutes.
Note: everything gets sanitized in the water bath (step 7) anyway, so this just
helps to ensure there is no spoilage later!)

The following treatment results in a better product texture but must be
carefully managed to avoid possible spoilage. Fully fermented pickles may be
stored in the original container for about 4 to 6 months, provided they are
refrigerated and surface scum and molds are removed regularly.

Place jars in a canner filled half way with warm (120º to
140ºF) water.

Then, add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars.

Heat the water enough to maintain 180º to 185º F water temperature for
30 minutes. Check with a candy or jelly thermometer to be certain that the
water temperature is at least 180ºF during the entire 30 minutes.
Temperatures higher than 185ºF may cause unnecessary softening of pickles.

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home
Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 1994. Reviewed
June 2006.

A 1-gallon container is needed for each 5 pounds of fresh vegetables.
Therefore, a 5-gallon stone crock is of ideal size for fermenting about 25
pounds of fresh cabbage or cucumbers. Food-grade plastic and glass containers
are excellent substitutes for stone crocks. Other 1- to 3-gallon non-food-grade
plastic containers may be used if lined inside with a clean food-grade plastic
bag.
Click here to find out more about fermentation crocks. There is also a good
book about making old-fashioned sauerkraut.

Caution: Be certain that foods contact only food-grade plastics. Do
not use garbage bags or trash liners. Fermenting sauerkraut in quart
and half-gallon Mason jars is an acceptable practice, but may result in more
spoilage losses.

Cabbage and cucumbers must be kept 1 to 2 inches under brine while
fermenting. After adding prepared vegetables and brine, insert a suitably sized
dinner plate or glass pie plate inside the fermentation container. The plate
must be slightly smaller than the container opening, yet large enough to cover
most of the shredded cabbage or cucumbers. To keep the plate under the brine,
weight it down with 2 to 3 sealed quart jars filled with water. Covering the
container opening with a clean, heavy bath towel helps to prevent contamination
from insects and molds while the vegetables are fermenting. Fine quality
fermented vegetables are also obtained when the plate is weighted down with a
very large clean, plastic bag filled with 3 quarts of water containing 4-1/2
tablespoons of salt. Be sure to seal the plastic bag. Freezer bags sold for
packaging turkeys are suitable for use with 5-gallon containers.

The fermentation container, plate, and jars must be washed in hot sudsy
water, and rinsed well with very hot water before use.

Pickle Making Problems?

Note about Pickle Mixes

To
interject a crass commercial here - hey, I've got to pay for
the website somehow :) I have found the best (crispest, best tasting)
pickles from a mix are with the "Mrs. Wages Polish Dill Refrigerator Pickle
Mix" They REALLY are good AND you don't need a canner - you store them in
your fridge right after making them. They're ready to eat in 24 hours!
Our affiliate sells the mixes (and at really good prices, too)

Other Equipment:

Lid lifter
- to remove lids from the pot
of boiling water (sterilizing )

Lid
- disposable - you may only
use them once

Ring
- holds the lids on the jar until after
the jars cool - then you don't need them

Canning jar funnel
- to fill the jars

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to
make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and
spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts
for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a
plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball
Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll
never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)!
There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see
more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

$14.00 total
or about $1.50 per jar INCLUDING the jars - which you can reuse!

* - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and
reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars! Many
products are sold in jars that will take the lids and rings for canning.
For example, Classico Spaghetti sauce is in quart sized jars that work
with Ball and Kerr lids and rings. Note that the Classico's manufacturer
does not recommend reuse of their jars:
see what they have to say on this page:

How to make other pickles - recipes and instructions:

Can't find the equipment? We ship to all 50 states! Use
our Feedback form!

This page was updated on

Want to make a donation?
pickyourown.org does not charge either farmers or consumers! I do all
of the programming, web design and updates myself. If you'd like to make a
donation to help me pay to keep the website going, please make a donation to me
at Benivia through our secure donation processor. Just click the button
below and follow the instructions: